Want people to share, retweet, or forward your content to their network? Make sure it hits an emotional trigger.
One of the most commonly overlooked components of effective social media marketing is the emotional response of your network.
If I had a dollar for every time I heard a financial advisor, agent, or wholesaler tell me "I've tried social, but I haven't seen any results." only to look at their social media actively to see nothing but bland updates about the markets and almost zero human engagement.
Do you want people to engage with your content? Share engaging stuff!
The infographic below, produced by CoSchedule, does a fantastic job of laying out the "Psychology of Social Sharing" by hitting the major reasons why people share content via social media.
Looking at the list you may notice that there is not category for "economic updates" or "interesting financial information." Does that mean you shouldn't share those things? No, of course you should. But you should package them in such a way that they hit at least one of these triggers.
Infographic by CoSchedule: http://coschedule.com/blog/why-people-share/
Want to update people on what's happening in markets or answer general financial questions for people?
Try using the approach that my friend Kathryn Cicoletti uses in her MSB Cheat Sheet series. In the example below she explains the difference between an individual bond and a bond fund. She tosses in a little comedy and breaks up the talk with some text and graphics.
What emotional trigger(s) is she hitting? Entertainment and Self Fulfillment for sure. The video is a great way to enjoy (be entertained) while learning something new.
Hint: Video is a fantastic way to get people to share. Your clients and prospects love video. Notice that Kathryn is shooting this video solo at her desk/table. It's not a difficult as it seems.
The takeaway?
Think about your reader/viewer/listener before you share content. What emotional response will they get when they experience what you've shared? If you can't think of one, consider repackaging the content so that it's more engaging.